Carter backs Egypt elections

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Friday that despite a number of irregularities, Egypt's parliamentary elections accurately expressed the will of the people.
On a visit to Cairo, Carter met with top Egyptian officials, including leaders of Egypt's ruling military council and heads of political parties as well as presidential candidates and officials from the higher election commission.
Carter held a news conference on the findings of the Carter Center's observation of Egypt's three stage election process which began on the 28th of November 2011.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, SAYING:
"Our impression is that there have been a number of irregularities or disparities in the election process. The election commission informed me that there have been around 900 complaints received and that they have been referred to the chief prosecutor.''
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, SAYING:
''Most of them have been involved with the issue of using religious comments in the election process; both by the Islamist parties and also some of the Copts."
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, SAYING:
"Despite all of these questions, the general presumption by the Carter Center and by all the political parties that have reported to me is that the will of the people has been adequately and accurately expressed in the results of the election."
The new parliament's first job will be appointing a 100-strong assembly to write a new constitution which will define the president's powers and parliament's clout in the new Egypt.
Carter is in Cairo with a group from his human rights organisation, the Carter Center, to help monitor the end of the final round of Egypt's first parliamentary elections since Mubarak was ousted.